Farm 'De Eerste' - Slootdorp

Here you’ll see one of the very first pioneering barns of the Wieringermeer, built around 1930. These barns were used to store the first harvests from the new polder farmland. Although this farm is called ‘De Eerste’ (‘The First’), there was actually another barn built at the same time. Together, these two barns mark the start of agriculture in this brand-new polder.

Not an old-fashioned stolp farm, but a clever barn! A completely new barn type was developed for the Wieringermeer. Large and simple in shape. Instead of the traditional North Holland stolp farms, they chose a design more like Frisian farms, better suited to arable farming. Everything a farmer needed (stables, storage, workspace) was placed under one big roof. Solidly built, with concrete and corrugated sheets, ready for hard work!

The first barns were built along canals to make it easy to transport the harvest by boat. They were designed to be as efficient as possible, and their designs were continuously improved. Over time, the barns and houses became smarter, more comfortable and better, leading to a whole collection of different types of farms across the Wieringermeer.

Tip along the way: Take a good look at the next farms you pass. You’ll see the evolution of polder architecture right before your eyes!